Combi recomendations

[Robster_1981]

We're going to take the plunge and replace our old worcester combi with a nice new condensing boiler.

I'm just starting to look, but could do with a bit of advice on what to look for. We're in a standard 2 bed semi and the current boiler is 24kw and does the job well enough (or did until last week )

As you might imagine, it needs to be as cheap as possible, so any opinions are welcome

Cheers

 

[weareleeds]

1st choice vaillant or else worcester again wouldn't give anything else house room.Just an opinion of someone who mends them when they go wrong if they go wrong

 

[NoCowboys]

don't use anything other than worcester they simply don't go wrong.


---------- life is like a box of chocolates ----------

 

[gas4you]

Fit nothing but vaillant, all stainless steel heat exchanger, easy to work on IF they go wrong. Worcesters are a pig to work on and repair unless you are used to them.

 

[Robster_1981]

Cheers for the suggestions.

I've read that worcesters can be unreliable (ours has just gone ) is this just the exception to the rule?

The vaillant's look very good, but are pretty expensive

 

[chr15]

Cheers for the suggestions.

I've read that worcesters can be unreliable (ours has just gone ) is this just the exception to the rule?

The vaillant's look very good, but are pretty expensive

What's 'gone' with the present Worcester and what model is it?

 

[pannierstan]

And how long have you had the one youve got now?? and how many times has it gone wrong?
The only people who moan about their boiler are the ones who have a problem.
You never get you mate in the pub say "You know what my Worcester boiler hasnt gone wrong in the last 5 years" will you.
Considering the number out there I can tell you they dont go wrong that often especially if they are installed correctly like any other boiler should be!
That said I have a Vaillant Ecomax which I happen to think is exceptional, but tough luck cos they dont make it anymore and the Ecotec aint as good, squashed up and full of plastic.

Stan

 

[Slugbabydotcom]

don't use anything other than worcester they simply don't go wrong.

Perhaps the moderator could add Utopia to the list of possible author locations?

Concern yourself more with the quality of the installer and his ability to follow the manufacturers instructions.

 

[Robster_1981]

What's 'gone' with the present Worcester and what model is it?

The fan needs replacing, and following the fault diagnosis methods in the manual, the circuit board is also faulty. Having said that, it hasn't gone wrong in the two years we've been here and i'm pretty sure it's about 10 years old (it's a 24CDi RSF)

My dad can fit the new boiler so we figured we may as well spend the extra money and get a brand new boiler as what's to say that if we put a new circuit board in, it wont still be faulty

P.s. the symptom of the problem is that we only get hot water with the central heating on

 

[Agile]

As you might imagine, it needs to be as cheap as possible, so any opinions are welcome

Nobody has told you what you wanted to know ! They have all suggested some of the most expensive boilers.

If it really needs to be cheap then about the cheapest are the Heatline ! Then come the Ravenheat and next the Biasi.

I would not much recommend the Band B Heatline or Ravenheat. The Biasi band B is OK though. The Heatline Band A looks very good indeed! The Biasi A is also good but I dont know much about the Ravenheat A as I rarely encounter any or hear of them.

However much more important than the brand name is the installation. The system must be spotlessly clean and that often means powerflushing and the gas supply pipe must be correctly sized to give no more than 1 mB drop between meter and boiler.

Tony

 

[Robster_1981]

Thanks Agile...top advice!!

The boiler will be going onto the existing pipework so i dont see any problems with the sizing.

I'm going to suggest to my Dad that we hire a powerflushing machine for a day to be on the safe side. Incidentally, does this need to be done before removing the old boiler, or after installing the new one?

 

[Agile]

The boiler will be going onto the existing pipework so i dont see any problems with the sizing.

You dont, I do!

Its a very common mistake to resuse old gas supply pipes without calculating the sizes actually required.

Firstly, old boilers are usually much lower power than their replacements!

Secondly its only recently that:-

1. CORGI have become interested in correctly sizing gas pipes.

2. Modern premix boilers are much more critical of gas supply pressures.

3. Very often with higher powered boilers the gas regulator at the meter has to be replaced.

Flushing can be done with or without the old boiler in place but must be done BEFORE the new boiler is used.

Just hiring a PF pump does not mean its going to be done properly. There is considerable skill involved in doing it and particularly choosing the best chemicals.

Tony

 

[ScottishGasMan]

Hey, Powerflushing when swapping combis would prob be best done inbetween times.

Ie Take the old one off, hook up the powerflush machine to the flow and return of the pipework, flush, fit new boiler.

You basically cant buy a new cheap boiler that will be reliable,

You get what you pay for, ideally any new boiler should work for sometime before problems start.

Ie My Worster 240 has been in 11 years, the pilot thermocouple has never failed, the diarghram works fine, never broke down or leaked the whole time, AND Its never been serviced.

Basicaly from expirience no new condensing boiler will last a great time without needing some work, as for the other suggestions, Ive worked on countless new worsters. and plenty of EcoMax's and CXI's that have basically melted due to design faults and many other problems.
So to pay alot doesnt even garuntee peace of mind, but its a good start.

Bearing In mind, Im a repair engeneer, as sed before, I dont get to see nice working boilers.

 

[Robster_1981]

Its a very common mistake to resuse old gas supply pipes without calculating the sizes actually required.

Firstly, old boilers are usually much lower power than their replacements!

What if the new boiler has the same specs as the old? (same 24kw and flow rate etc)

 

[gas4you]

Forget the Kw, you need to know the gas consumption in m3/hr.

The original pipe work my have been undersized right from the start